Before coming to Japan, I was full of excitement! I wanted to make new friends, improve my Japanese skills, and learn as much as I could about the culture and history. Right before coming here, I was mostly nervous about the flight all the to the other side of the world. I worried about homesickness developing and hitting spots of culture shock. However, after being here for a while, almost three months, I am not so worried anymore. The flight went well. I didn't have any incapacitating moments of homesickness, it's more like I always have a feeling of missing my family and friends. I just wish they could experience this with me! Also, the only culture shock related experience I've had so far is frustration with not being able to understand most of the language. Despite that, I remain optimistic and get over it quickly; it just boosts motivation for wanting to learn!

I've been learning more and more. I feel that, even if just a little, my Japanese is improving in areas. I have learned about aspects of other countries, especially Brazil and Thailand, through the international students. I have a lot more to go, more improvements to my language and skills and more information about the culture. Thus, those goals are still the same. All of my goals are still the same, like also wanting to discover more about myself. My goal of wanting to improve my Japanese has grown, though, because of some of my frustrations I've had. Plus, if I want to use my skills in the future for part of my career, I need to work hard.

 I look forward to the rest of my journey!